After the Conversation, They Say Goodbye with an Embracedir. Renan Brandão • 2017 • BrazilAt the same time that Elisa says goodbye to Heliomar, she meets the young Michel.​​Screening as part of Short Films #3, Saturday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m.SUBTITLED - Contains nudity, strong sexual content and adult situations

The Ascentdir. Sarah Larson & Val Bodurtha • 2018 • USATravis and Caleb think they have what it takes to become fraternity brothers until a rowdy night spirals out of control. By tracing back time, it becomes clear that this hazing death might not have been accidental. A dark and heart-wrenching thriller, "The Ascent" deals with issues of justice and questions the line between revenge and self-defense.

Screening as part of Short Films #3, Sunday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m.

Backup Plandir. David Beck • USA Fired for being trans, a devoted grade school teacher decides the only solution is suicide, but an unexpected visit complicates her plan.

Screening as part of Short Films #2, Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.

Bakosó: AfroBeats of Cubadir. Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi • 2019 • CubaWhat does “Está Rico” by Marc Anthony, Will Smith & Bad Bunny have in common with “Made For Now” by Janet Jackson x Daddy Yankee? They both high-jacked AfroBeats and did not give the genre’s origin props. The film follows DJ Jigüe to his hometown of Santiago de Cuba to find inspiration from the new sounds. He finds Afrobeats has helped create a new genre called Bakosó, which itself is beautiful proof that the exchange between Cuba and Africa did not end with the Transatlantic slave trade. Through stunning visuals and a score created by the founders of the genre, the film shows the technology, culture and landscape that shape this African-Caribbean fusion.​​Screening Saturday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m.SUBTITLED

Followed by an after-party in the courtyard with refreshments, bites and live music.

Bubbledir. Gourav Ghosh • 2018 • IndiaA satirical comedy where an item can destroy millions of lives without the person knowing about it. It's all a game where lives are lost in a mad game called destruction.​​Screening as part of Short Films #1, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.SUBTITLED

The Concurrencedir. Esha More • 2019 • USATo mesh the realities of two co-existing worlds, two courageous minds try to break down the barrier between them.​​Screening as part of Short Films #1, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.

Cutdir. Mehrdad Bakhshi • 2019 • IranA relationship that is ruined over a third-person involvement (in Iran "cut" is used for breakup).​​Screening as part of Short Films #1, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.SUBTITLED

Dream Datedir. Phillip Lindsey • 2019 • USADaron goes on a blind date with a girl he met on the internet. His car is stolen during his dinner date, and he must learn to trust a crazy girl he just met in an attempt to get his car back.​​Screening as part of Short Films #3, Sunday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m.

Elephantbirddir.Massoud Soheili • 2017 • AfghanistanA mini-bus is on a journey across the mountains to Kabul. Each person on the bus has a reason to take this journey. An old man is traveling to give a turkey to his grandchild, as his last wish before dying. However, the main road is blocked by insurgents. They decide to use an alternative road, which is not very secure, and there is still the possibility of getting caught by insurgents.​​Screening as part of Short Films #1, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.SUBTITLED

Finish Linedir. Saeed Mayahy • 2019 • IranStory of a woman athletic from Iran who is trying to get back in fields from her accident and also faces deprivation because she does not agree to compete with hijab in international events and she must confronts its aftermath.​​Screening as part of Short Films #2, Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.SUBTITLED

Fishnet and the Fishdir. Ali Nikfar • 2018 • IranIt's about all little fishes in the world.​​Screening as part of Short Films #1, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.SUBTITLED

Hearing is Believingdir. Lorenzo DeStefano • 2017 • USAThe story introduces the world to the astonishing young musician and composer, Rachel Flowers. Born 15-weeks premature, at a body weight of one pound five ounces, Rachel lost her eyesight due to Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). At two she began picking up melodies from her musician parents and was soon playing every song she heard by ear, including Bach fugues. A dynamic and engaging portrait of nearly two years in the life of a tight knit American family, a single mom and her two kids, living paycheck to paycheck in working class Oxnard, California, with Rachel’s stunning music as the soundtrack.​OPENING NIGHT FILM, Friday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m.

​Followed by a live on-stage performance by Rachel Flowers and an after-party in the courtyard with refreshments, bites and more live music.

Hold Your Breathdir. John Stephenson • 2019 • U.K.The wealthy Mr Black is thwarted by a pair of renegades who attempt to outsmart him in an audacious and elegantly planned heist. Starring James Purefoy.​​Screening as part of Short Films #1, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.

Humanizing Homelessness in Oxnarddir. Christian Ramirez • 2019 • USAGive a voice to those who need it the most. Hear first-hand stories from people who are going through homelessness and what city officials believe the issue to be in Oxnard, California.​​Screening Saturday, Sept. 21, 4 p.m.This film has been removed from the lineup as requested by the filmmaker. It its place is now the screening block: 'Homegrown Films from Oxnard.'

Iku Manievadir. Meta Xinema • 2017 • MexicoTwo children take refuge from violence in the mountains of Sinaloa, Mexico. A short documentary filmed in the Sinaloa sierra, a mythical territory in Northwest Mexico historically controlled by the drug cartels and whose violent dispute has transformed entire communities into ghost towns.

​Screening as part of Short Films #2, Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.SUBTITLED

I'm A Treedir. Gregory Gano • 2018 • USAA hiker interviews a tree -- gaining insight into how trees experience kaleidoscopic time, listen to stories carried by water, and cope with the prospect of death.​​Screening as part of Short Films #2, Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.

Mi País, Tu País (My Country, Your Country)dir. Genevieve Gorman Deane • 2017 • USAThe film explores aspects of today's U.S. political climate and the prejudices against the Latin American community within the United States. The story follows the maternal bond between mother and son and the familial struggles they face as undocumented citizens who risk their sense of identity and peace to stay in a country they emigrated to seven years ago. ​​Screening as part of Short Films #2, Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.SUBTITLED

Nasty Habitsdir. Allisyn Arm • 2019 • USAA young aspiring musician befriends a lonely truck driver, who picks her up as she hitchhikes her way to Los Angeles.​​Screening as part of Short Films #3, Sunday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m.

Obliviondir. Fatemeh Mohammadi • 2018 • IranMehrbanoo tries everything to make her husband’s life, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, worth living. Rental issues and the absence of their children and grandchildren take their toll in this sensitive portrayal.​​Screening as part of Short Films #3, Sunday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m.SUBTITLED

Passagedir. Quentin Persia • 2019 • FranceTom, a 25 year old man, is on a train station platform. Standing next to the edge, he is considering jumping as a train pulls in. At the last moment, he is caught by an old man named Jacques, who invites him to spend the day with him. Being near an overgrown child like Jacques will make Tom's life worth living again; it may even give it a new meaning.​​Screening as part of Short Films #1, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.SUBTITLED

Slaughterdir. Saman Hosseinpuor• 2019 • IranGhasem is forced to sell their cow to spend a hard winter in their village, but his son fled out the cow.​​Screening as part of Short Films #2, Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.SUBTITLED

Twin Treesdir. Braedon Freeland • 2019 • USAA surreal journey into the mind of a young girl who is terrified of human interactions. ​​Screening as part of Short Films #3, Sunday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m.

The Very Last Daydir. Cédric Jouarie • 2018 • TaiwanA best-selling writer is seduced, then kidnapped by an admirer, who accuses him of raping her 20 years ago and exploiting her personal tragedy as a plot of his latest book. While the author insists that his novel is strictly a work of fiction, the erratic woman relentlessly tries to rip a confession out of him.​CLOSING NIGHT FILM, Sunday, Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m.

​Followed by an after-party in the courtyard with refreshments, bites and live music.

Waiting Roomdir. James Werbe • 2019 • USAFour teens consider their deaths, and find things are more familiar than first expected.​​Screening as part of Short Films #2, Saturday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.